The Enchanted Ones
by Lady Piper1
Summary: The story of the search for Piper and Prue's teenage daughters. Put into foster care long ago, now, after Prue's death, the sisters are trying to reunite with them. I suck at summaries, please read anyway.
1. Chapter 1

The Enchanted Ones  
  
A/N: This is totally, totally alternate universe. Piper, Prue and Phoebe grew up knowing about their powers. Paige was still given up at birth, and then found her sisters after Prue died. Leo is the son of two whitelighters so he has whitelighter powers (healing, orbing, etc.) but isn't an actual whitelighter. (kinda like paige but without the witch part). He has lived near the Halliwells his whole life, and he and Piper have been dating since they were 14. All the other differences will come out as the story progresses. ENJOY!!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.  
  
It was a rainy evening in late November when Phoebe and Piper sat across from each other at the kitchen table, the Book of Shadows between them. Piper broke the silence. "We have to find them, you know. You read the prophecy; we don't really have a choice. They'll be the strongest of them, stronger even than us maybe. They need to know about their heritage. We need to teach them."  
  
"I know, Piper, I know. But it's not that easy. They've all grown up living completely different lives. We don't know what they've been through, what experiences they've had. They might want to stay with their families."  
  
"Dammit, Phoebe, we are their family!" Piper screamed. Then she looked down at the floor sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I. I shouldn't have yelled."  
  
"It's okay, sweetie, I understand." Phoebe leaned across the table and took Piper's hands in her own. "You miss them, don't you?" Piper nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Phoebe quickly got up and embraced her older sister, gently stroking her hair. "Okay. I guess we're going to find them, then. But we have to tell Paige, she needs to know." She said calmly.  
  
At that moment, Paige walked into the kitchen. "Tell me what?" she asked, looking at her sisters sitting together at the table.  
  
Phoebe eased Piper out of her grasp, and stood up. "You should sit," she said, motioning to a chair at the table. "We need to talk."  
  
Paige sat down at the table next to Piper, and Phoebe took her seat across from her. Piper opened the Book of Shadows and flipped through the pages until she found one with the heading 'The Enchanted Ones', written with great flourish. "Read this," She said.  
  
Paige gave her sisters a questioning look, but proceeded to read it anyway.  
  
"All witches in the generation following that of the Charmed Ones shall be known as the Enchanted Ones. The power of the Enchanted Ones lies in the power of two. Any two Enchanted Ones can work together for the Power of Two; the witches need not be related. Enchanted Ones may also work as solitary practitioners-however, certain vanquishes/spells require the Power of Two. The most powerful Enchanted Ones will be the children of the Charmed Ones-their strength will be a force to be reckoned with."  
  
When she finished reading, Paige looked up. "What are you guys trying to tell me? Are you," she motioned to Piper, "pregnant?"  
  
A/N: Sorry that chapter was so short, guys! Review, and I'll post more SOON!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

The Enchanted Ones  
  
Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.  
  
Piper took a deep breath, and then began to talk. "Not quite. Close, but not quite."  
  
Paige looked from Piper to Phoebe. "I don't understand."  
  
Phoebe looked at Piper, and Piper nodded. "She was. Pregnant, that is." Phoebe murmured.  
  
"Did you lose the baby?" Concern filled Paige's eyes; she hoped Piper hadn't had to go through the sadness a miscarriage brought with it.  
  
"Yes. No. Kind of." Piper struggled to explain.  
  
Phoebe interrupted, "Why don't we go sit on the couch where it's more comfortable?"  
  
Piper smiled gratefully at her younger sister. Moving to the couch and getting settled would give her time to find the words she needed to explain the situation.  
  
They settled themselves comfortably on the couch. Paige sat on one end, her legs curled under her. Phoebe sat at the other end, one arm draped over Piper's shoulder. Piper clutched Phoebe's hand in hers, and began to talk. "You know Leo and I dated for a long time before we were married, right?"  
  
Paige nodded. "You said you guys were dating from when you were fourteen until you guys were eighteen and went to separate colleges, then you got back together when you were twenty-five. And you married last year."  
  
"Yeah," Piper continued. "And you know that Prue dated Andy all through high school and college." This time it was more of a statement than a question. Paige nodded anyway. "Well that's not quite the whole story." A confused look crossed Paige's face, but Piper kept talking. "See, when Prue was twenty and I was seventeen, we-both of us-got pregnant. By Andy and Leo, of course. But we couldn't keep the babies. We couldn't afford to take care of them, and Grams could barely keep after Phoebe, let alone two little babies." By this point, Piper's eyes were filling with tears. "They were born just about a week apart-my daughter was born April 11th, and Prue's was born April 20th. But we gave them up for adoption. We didn't want to, but we had to. And we had to give up Prue's second daughter, too. She was born a year later, September 4th. It killed us to do it, but we couldn't take care of them."  
  
Tears were streaming down Piper's face. Paige leaned over and hugged her oldest sister. She stroked her hair, trying to reassure her. "It's okay, Piper. It's all going to be okay." Paige looked at Phoebe for help, and Phoebe wrapped both of her sisters in a big hug.  
  
They sat together, just hugging, for a while, when a little voice spoke out. "We have to find them. Please."  
  
It took Paige and Phoebe a few seconds to realize the voice was Piper, but when they did, Phoebe spoke up. "Piper, we'll find them. You're right, we'll find them. Everything will be okay."  
  
Piper broke out of the hug, wiping her tears away. "Thanks," she said in between sobs. Then she looked at Paige. "Thanks for understanding."  
  
The sisters just sat there for a few minutes, and then Piper spoke again. "Just one problem. how do we find them?"  
  
A/N: review!!!!!!!! 


	3. Chapter 3

The Enchanted Ones

A/N: I know absolutely _nothing_ about adoption procedures, or how to find kids once they've been adopted, so I'm inventing most of this off the top of my head, and please don't complain that its inaccurate. This goes for this chapter, and all the ones after that involve the adoption procedures I'm makin up.

Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.

A smile crossed Paige's face. "Well, we are in luck, because _I_ work with social services." Paige was pleased that she would be able to help find her nieces despite knowing nothing about them. "All we need to know, is the name of the adoption agency you used, and the kids' names."

"Um… yeah. Peyton… Paris… and, uh, Pandora. They have middle names too, there's copies of the birth certificates… somewhere." Piper leaned back on Phoebe, almost too exhausted from crying to even speak. "The adoption agency… it's written down, with the birth certificates. Can we deal with all this tomorrow? I'm really tired, I just want to go to sleep right now."

Paige and Phoebe exchanged worried looks. Piper hadn't been that tired earlier, or if she had been, she hid it well. But she certainly looked tired then, so they didn't argue. "Of course, sweetie. We'll find everything in the morning. Just get some rest." Phoebe kissed the top of Piper's head. The three sisters slowly got up from the couch and walked upstairs towards their respective bedrooms.

Just before Piper turned and walked into her bedroom, Paige reached over and squeezed her hand. "Hey," she said quietly. "You okay?"

Piper nodded. "Yeah… yeah. Just… tired. And a bit overwhelmed. You know, losing a daughter… thirteen years ago… and then all of a sudden finding out that she's going to be one of the most powerful witches of her generation, and deciding to go out and find her. It's a, uh, lot to deal with." Piper's tone brightened a bit. "But, I just need some sleep, in the morning I'll be fine."

"Okay," Paige smiled. "G'night." She opened the door to her own room, but before walking in, turned around. "But, if you need to talk, you know where I am."

Piper smiled. "Thanks," she said, then walked into her room and closed the door.

The next morning Piper awoke to find both of her sisters already downstairs. She joined them in kitchen. The three of them sat at the table, clutching cups of coffee, no one speaking. Finally, Piper spoke. "Why is nobody saying anything? Talk, talk! The silence is killing me."

Paige and Phoebe giggled. "Okay, I have to be at work in about an hour… do you want to go look for the birth certificates now?" Paige asked.

Piper nodded. "Good idea. They're probably in the attic. Let's go!" She got up, coffee in hand, and started walking to the stairs. Phoebe and Paige followed.

For forty-five minutes, they looked unsuccessfully through boxes, and trunks, and piles of junk. Right before they were going to give up for then and take a break, Paige said, "Hey guys, I think I found something."

Phoebe and Piper walked over to where Paige sat in front of a small trunk. Inside were photographs, a baby blanket, hospital ID bracelets, and at the very top of the pile were six pieces of paper. Piper grabbed the papers and quickly leafed through them. It was the three birth certificates, and three confirmations of adoption with the South Bay Adoption Agency. "Paige… you found them!" Elated, Piper hugged her youngest sister.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything more, a demon shimmered in behind them. He grabbed Phoebe, and put an athame to her throat. "Give me the papers… and you can have your sister back!" He growled in a low voice.

"Phoebe!" Paige and Piper screamed in unison.

"Give them to me, witch."

"Paige, don't. Don't give him the papers, please." Piper started crying. She couldn't lose her daughter and nieces, not after coming so close to being able to have them back.

Paige called for the athame. As it appeared in her hand, she threw it at the demon. It didn't do much, but it took a big enough chunk out of his arm that he let go of Phoebe. "Piper, blow him up!" It took her a few seconds to regain her composure, but she blew him up. He burst into flames and disappeared, all that was left was the athame.

"What the hell was that?" Phoebe asked. "And why did he want the papers?"

"So he could get the kids. And either kill them or make them evil. Remember, the Source tried to do that with Paige. But he didn't get her, and they won't get the kids, either." Piper replied.

"Yeah, but that wasn't the Source."

"It was a lower-level demon, Bruka." Paige called from where she stood hunched over the Book. "He probably wanted them so he could get on the Source's good side… if he has a good side."

The information reassured all three sisters. They took the papers and the trunk, and went downstairs. They sat around the kitchen table, looking at the confirmations of adoptions. "South Bay Adoption Agency… I kind of work with them," Paige said. "They're associated with South Bay Social Services. I can get us an appointment to see about finding them, if you'd like."

"That'd be great, Paige." Piper replied. "Hey, don't you need to go to work?"

"Oh, shit!" Paige stood up. "Bye, guys!" She grabbed her coat and was out the door.

A/N: next chapter will be all nice and happy! But ya only get it if ya review!


	4. Chapter 4

The Enchanted Ones

A/N: I just wanna thank all my reviewers! Special thanks to: **pizza**, who reviewed on all my chapters, and **piperperson**, **piper**, and **Pippergurl **who reviewed on two chapters. Snaps for you guys! (the rest of y'all out there better be snapping, too, because if people weren't reviewing you wudn't hav a story to read!)

Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.

After Paige ran out the door, Piper and Phoebe continued looking at the papers and photographs. "Peyton Samantha Halliwell," Phoebe said. "Your daughter, right?" Piper nodded. "She was so cute. They all were. She had red hair, though. Where did she get red hair?"

"Well, Charlotte Warren had red hair, remember? We saw that when we went to the past. So it's probably a recessive gene we all had, it just came out with Peyton."

"Hmm… yeah that makes sense." Phoebe picked up another birth certificate. "Paris Galadriel Halliwell. Prue's oldest. She had Prue's eyes, icy blue, her dark black hair, too. But she didn't have much… I guess she took after Andy in that respect—he had such thin hair."

Piper smiled, and picked up the last birth certificate. "Pandora Winifred Halliwell. Prue's youngest. She had brown hair, like Andy. But it was thick, like Prue's."

"Not as thick as Peyton's!" Phoebe pulled out a photograph of a newborn baby with thick red hair. Piper giggled.

"Well that's because _she_ was my daughter, and my hair was _always_ thicker than Prue's."

Phoebe giggled at that comment. Growing up, Prue and Piper had both had thick hair, but by far, Piper's was thicker. Phoebe and Prue had always complained that whenever Piper took a shower, she used up all the conditioner on her hair because she had so much of it.

Phoebe pulled out the rest of the photographs from the trunk, and she and Piper spent the rest of the day looking at them.

When Paige got home that evening, Piper and Phoebe were already eating dinner. "Hey, you're a little late getting home!" Phoebe teased.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. The traffic was terrible coming back from the adoption agency. But I got an appointment for us to meet with Dylan Maguire… Apparently he was involved with the adoptions, knows the case. Anyway, the appointment is for next Thursday, at 10 am."

"Okay, sounds good. Sit down and eat, then we all can go look at those photographs!" Phoebe said

Piper groaned. "Phoebe, we spent all day looking at them!"

"Yeah, but Paige didn't see them." Phoebe reasoned

Paige giggled. "Yeah, I want to see the pictures."

Piper rolled her eyes, but said nothing, and went back to eating her dinner. She looked up moments later to find Paige and Phoebe staring at her, grinning. "Okay, okay! We can look at the pictures!"

Phoebe and Paige laughed, and after dinner, the three sisters spent the whole evening looking at pictures of the babies.

A/N: Hey guys, I know this was a little short. Sorry about that! But I ended it on a nice happy note just like I promised! Next they'll be at the adoption agency, then expect some stuff in the kids' povs. Review Now!


	5. Chapter 5

The Enchanted Ones

A/N: hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long, I've been having some writer's block! Hopefully that's over now and I can get a couple more chapters done soon.

**Sylphyte52:** I'm trying to work more action into the story, I'm not really that good at writing action. And the kids will have powers, Piper/Paige/Phoebe will find out what the powers are when the find the kids. If u hav any suggestions for my endings (endings aren't my strong point) email me at Thanks for the review!

**Emma:** Yes, Leo knows about the kids. I tried to make that clear in this chapter, there will be more with leo in the next chapter.

**pizza: **I'll try to write some action into the next chapter

Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.

Piper, Paige, and Phoebe sat in the waiting room outside Dylan Maguire's office, waiting to be called in. The birth certificates and adoption confirmations were inside Piper's purse, as were three photographs—one of each baby. The sisters weren't sure if the photos were necessary, but they figured it was best to be on the safe side.

After waiting for what seemed like hours, but was actually only five minutes, a tall blonde woman walked into the waiting room. She glanced down at a clipboard, then looked up. "Paige Matthews, and Piper and Phoebe Halliwell?" The three sisters all looked towards the woman. "Mr. Maguire will see you now."

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood up slowly and walked through the open door into Mr. Maguire's office. "Ladies, have a seat." Mr. Maguire sat behind his desk, leafing through a large file labeled "Halliwell". In front of the desk were only two chairs, so Paige opted to stand.

After a few seconds, Mr. Maguire looked up. "Ladies," he said. "I understand you are interested in reuniting with your daughters."

"Daughter." Piper interrupted. "And nieces—our sister's daughters. Prue, um, she died in May." A single tear escaped Piper's eye at the memory of her sister's death, but she quickly wiped it away.

"I'm… so sorry, for your loss." Mr. Maguire said. There was a momentary pause in the conversation, but Mr. Maguire soon picked up where he had left off. "Well, I trust that you still have the adoption confirmations, correct?" Piper nodded, and produced them from her purse. Mr. Maguire pulled three small folders from inside the large one. Each folder was labeled with the name of one of the children. "We have already established that the mother of Pandora Winifred and Paris Galadriel have passed on. Would you happen to know the whereabouts of their father, Andrew Trudeau?" He asked.

"He's dead, too." Phoebe spoke up. "It's been a few years now, since his death, actually."

"And what about Leo Wyatt? Is he still living?"

"Yes," Paige answered. "He and Piper," she motioned toward her eldest sister to indicate which she was, "Married last year. He would have been here today, but he's away, on, uh… business."

"Alright," Mr. Maguire replied. "Now, none of the children live in California, but we will still be able to set up appointments for you to meet them. However, if you're also interested in regaining custody, that will take quite some time, and we can't guarantee that it's even possible. Since the children have grown up with these families, it might be seen to be in their best interest to remain with them. And, of course, since they're not so little anymore—ten and eleven—what they want will also be taken into account. Are you, interested in regaining custody?"

Phoebe and Paige both looked at Piper. The decision was really up to her, Paige and Phoebe would support her no matter what she chose. "Not… right now. Maybe, at a later time but right now, we just want to meet them, talk to them, get to know them. Custody isn't our main focus at all."

Mr. Maguire nodded, then opened the folder labeled "Pandora Winifred Halliwell". He read through a few papers, then looked up and began to speak. "Pandora Winifred, your sister's younger daughter, was adopted by an older couple… they're about fifty now… and they live in Texas, on a ranch. According to the social worker's report from January, Pandora is attending at the local elementary school, and is in 5th grade. The family has no other children, although there are lots of cousins living nearby. The adoptive parents are Frank and Linda Noakes."

Piper nodded, and Mr. Maguire opened the next folder. "Your sister's older daughter, Paris Galadriel, lives in Seattle. Her adoptive parents, James and Sarah Hartley, have one biological daughter—Cindy's about two now. They also have two other adopted children—Steven is fifteen and Joseph is ten, so Paris is the second oldest. She's in sixth grade at a private grammar school."

Mr. Maguire, without waiting for a reaction from the sisters, opened the final folder. He skimmed the pages quickly and then began to speak once again. "Peyton Samantha lives in Massachusetts. Her adoptive parent, Luke and Nina Bridgewater, have another adopted child, Andrew, who's seventeen." Mr. Maguire closed the folder, and looked at Piper, Paige and Phoebe. "If you'd like, I can schedule a day and time for you to meet the children."

Piper nodded. "How soon can you make the appointments?"

"If you don't mind waiting, I can call the girls' social workers right now and see when they're available."

Piper nodded again. "Please do."

Mr. Maguire picked up his phone and started dialing. He was on the phone for close to forty minutes, during which Phoebe, Paige, and Piper just sat in silence. When he finally hung up the phone, he said, "You can meet Pandora on February 22nd, at 4:30pm, and Paris is available February 25th, 5:00pm. And you can see Peyton on March 7th, 3:30pm. Here," he took out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing. "Here are their addresses, and their social worker's phone numbers, in case you have any questions. When you meet the children, their social worker will be there too."

He handed Piper the sheet of paper he'd been writing on. She took the paper and stood up. Phoebe stood too. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Maguire. Goodbye." Piper extended her hand, which Mr. Maguire shook. She then turned and walked out the door, Paige and Phoebe close behind her.

As soon as they were out of the building, Piper turned and faced her sisters, revealing a grin that spread across her whole face. "Can you believe we'll actually get to meet them? Leo is going to be thrilled! This is so great… I can't wait to meet them."

Paige and Phoebe both smiled at seeing Piper so happy. Phoebe put her arm around Piper's shoulder. "Yes… it is great. We're all thrilled. But Piper, have you thought about how we're going to afford this? I mean, sure we can orb over there, but it'll be a little suspicious showing up without a car, won't it?"

Suddenly Piper's grin subsided. "Well… Leo can orb the car, too."

"Rental cars." Paige said suddenly. "We can't orb a car, there's no where inconspicuous to do that. But we can just orb do a car rental place near the kids' houses, and rent a car for the day."

Piper and Phoebe stared at Paige, unblinking and silent. "Now why didn't I think of that?" Phoebe said. "That's a great idea." Paige smiled. "Now let's go home." Piper, Phoebe, and Paige walked to the car and drove home, all the way smiling, pleased that they'd been able to find out more about the children, and thrilled that soon they'd be meeting them.


	6. Chapter 6

The Enchanted Ones  
  
A/N: Hey guys, sorry its been so long since I updated!! School started the 4th, and I havnt been able to write except on weekends. I'll try to get 1 chapter up every 2 weeks, the next chapter might be up soon-like next weekend, since I already hav half of it written.  
  
Thanks to laura and amy for the idea for the demon in this chapter!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.  
  
In an open field to the right of a large barn and to the left of a small house stood a small brown-haired girl, grooming a large chestnut colored horse. Behind the field was a large pond, empty save for one duck. The area seemed lifeless, except for one light on in the small house, and the girl and her horse. Dark rain clouds gathered overhead-despite it already being the first week of December, there had been no snow. As the sky darkened, the wind began to pick up. Within twenty minutes the girl's hair was flying every which way, but she stayed grooming the horse quietly. A raindrop fell, and more soon followed. The wind began howling quietly, and the girl glanced up and looked around. Seeing no one, she looked down again, and continued brushing the horse's mane. Finishing, she took the horse's reins, and walked him into the barn.  
  
The lone duck on the pond seemed to watch the girl, and as she entered the barn his eyes began to glow red. The small girl exited the barn, and carefully shut the door behind her. She looked up at the sky, filled with clouds still pouring out rain. Wrapping her arms around herself, she began trudging past the pond towards the house. The duck, its eyes back to their normal color, still watched her. As she passed the pond and neared the house, it suddenly began changing shape.  
  
Within seconds, the duck assumed the form of a human wearing a long black coat. He lurked quietly behind the girl. She seemed to know something was following her, but every time she turned around, all she saw was an innocent duck walking along behind her.  
  
"Go away, duck, you can't come into the house. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay out here." She said to the duck. As soon as she turned around, he once more became a man.  
  
When she was halfway to the house, another man, dressed in jeans, appeared behind the first man, whose eyes were once again glowing red. "Watch out!" the man in jeans cried. The girl whirled around quickly, and saw both men. She screamed in terror of the man with the glowing eyes.  
  
The man with the glowing eyes waved his arm, causing the other man to fly into a tree. He then drew back his hand and a ball of fire appeared in his hand. Despite the rain, it stayed lit in his hand. The girl, obviously frightened, crumpled to the ground, crying and screaming. As the man prepared to throw the fireball at the girl, she put her hands up over her head, her palms facing toward the man with the glowing eyes. Without warning, fire shot out of her palms, and engulfed the man in flames. He moaned in pain, and then disappeared.  
  
The man who had been thrown to the tree pulled himself off the ground and ran over to the crying girl. "Are you okay?" he asked her. When she didn't answer, he knelt down beside her. "I won't hurt you.I promise."  
  
She slowly lifted her head and looked at the man. "What.what was that? How did he..and I.where did all that fire come from?"  
  
The man frowned. The elders didn't tell me she didn't know she was a witch, he thought. "It was.nothing. Nothing to worry about. Are you hurt?" He tried to avoid the topic of her powers, not sure exactly how to tell her.  
  
"N-no. Who.who are you?" the girl asked, calming down finally.  
  
"Your parents hired me to help take care of the horses." He answered, hoping it would be enough of an explanation for her. It was.  
  
She stood slowly and rubbed her eyes. "Bye," she told him, then turned and quickly walked to the large house without waiting for a reply.  
  
As soon as she entered the house, tightly closing the door behind her, the man disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.  
  
A/N: any ideas on who the man and girl are? The demon in this chapter will most likely be involved in other chapters, maybe the next 1, I havnt decided yet. I cant think that far in advance. Read and review please!!!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Chapter 7

The Enchanted Ones

A/N: ok I know in the first chapter, I sed that this takes place in the 4th season, but im getting tired of thinking in the past, so from now on, lets just assume that its present day, but there's no wyatt, and leo hasn't been made an elder. I went back and changed the other chapters so that the dates were consistent.. Also, I'm gonna put they date that each chapter occurs at the top of the page, so you all know wen its happening.

Heart Afire: well fire throwing generally is a demonic power, but from the episode lost and bound (season 4), it seemed to me like it cud also b a power for non-demons, since the kid (I cant remember his name) was a firestarter. In my story the power manifests itself slightly differently from how it did in the episode, but at least by my reasoning, its really the same. And I'll watch out for repeating words, I hadn't noticed I wuz doin that, thanx for pointing it out.

Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope u enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed.

_December 9th _

After dinner that evening, Piper sat curled up on the couch, a book in hand, the radio playing softly in the background. After reading the same paragraph over and over again, she realized it was useless. She wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until she told her husband what she and her sisters had done that day. "Leo!" Nothing happened. "Leo!"

He orbed in behind her, and tapped her on her shoulder. She shrieked, then said "Leo, you scared me."

"I'm sorry honey. What's wrong?"

Piper sighed. "You've barely been home at all lately, Leo. Where have you been?" She tried to put off telling Leo about the adoption agency, not sure how he'd react.

"I got a new charge, she's just a kid, doesn't even know she's a witch. According to the Elders, her powers were bound pretty much all her life—somehow they got unbound about six months ago. This kid has demons coming after her left and right… I can't figure out why, none of my other charges has that much demon trouble, not even you guys. If the Elders know anything, they're keeping it to themselves. Poor kid… she thinks she's crazy—she keeps conjuring fire but doesn't know how it happens. Her power is probably pyrokinesis. I'm posing as a horse trainer—she lives on a ranch."

"Could you possibly spend more time at home, and less time watching over this kid? I mean, Leo, I know your work is important, but it can't take up all your time. You do have a family."

Leo took Piper's hands in his. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have to spend so much time there now. She's done a good job of vanquishing all the demons that have come after her so far—she's strong. Even without being able to control her powers, she's strong. I'll try to spend more time with you Piper, I promise."

"Leo…" Piper knew she would have to tell him about tracking down the children sooner or later, and sooner was better than later. "I understand. Do what you have to do to keep her safe. But don't forget…that you have a family. Sister-in-laws. A wife…" Piper took a deep breath and looked away. "…and a daughter."

Leo's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Piper, we don't have a daughter. We lost the privilege to call her 'daughter' when we gave her up."

"Leo, she's still our daughter. We just don't have legal custody of her, but she's still our daughter. She always will be." Piper paused. "And… earlier today, Paige, Phoebe and me…well we found the agency that handled the adoption. And we met with a social worker…and they've arranged for us to meet each of them. In January."

"_Each_ of the kids? Piper, what haven't you been telling me?"

"Prue's kids, remember? Well, you'd only remember the first one. She was pregnant with Paris the same time I was pregnant with Peyton. But a year later, after you'd already moved, she was pregnant again, had another daughter."

Leo nodded. "Why now?" Piper gave him a confused look. "I mean, why did you decide to go looking for them now rather than any other time?"

"We found a prophecy, in the book. They're going to be powerful witches. Very powerful. But we need to teach them how to control their powers. And besides, Leo, we're their family." Piper paused. "You're not mad, are you?"

At this point, there was a pause in the conversation. Leo wasn't sure how to answer the question. _I wish she would have talked to me before doing this_ he thought. _She's my daughter, too. But then, I can't blame her for trying to find our daughter after seeing that prophecy, I would probably have done the same._

Leo's thoughts went back and forth between being mad at his wife and thinking she had done the right thing. The momentary pause in the conversation, though, allowed for the two to hear the radio playing in the background:

We were young and wild 

_We decided not to have the child_

_So we did what we did,_

_And we tried to forget_

_And we swore up and down_

_There would be no regrets. _

Hearing these words, both Piper and Leo began to speak simultaneously.

"We agreed it was best for her—"

"We didn't think we could raise a child—"

Piper and Leo laughed nervously, and then Piper spoke. "We were wrong. We shouldn't have given her up. We made a mistake, and we need to fix it."

Leo nodded. "You're right. And I'm glad you and your sisters went to the adoption agency today." He glanced up as the clock chimed twelve. "But right now it's late—we'll talk tomorrow."

A/N: well that's all for this chapter, sorry it took so long to get it up, I've just been lazy. I shud probly hav the next chapter up sometime on the weekend, unless I get lazy again. Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

The Enchanted Ones  
  
A/N: thanks for all the reviews!!!!!!! Also, the song that was in the last chapter was Red Rag Top by Tim McGraw  
  
Disclaimer: No, sad as it is, I do not own charmed. I do, however, own Paetyn, Pandora, and Paris.  
  
February 22nd  
  
"Piper, if you don't hurry up, we are going without you!" Phoebe screamed up the stairs. Turning to Paige, she said, "What is taking her so long? Even Leo's been ready for the past ten minutes."  
  
"What's that you're saying about me?" Leo asked as he walked in from the kitchen, clutching an apple.  
  
"Nothing. We were just wondering why Piper's taking so long. Any insight you'd like to offer?" Paige replied.  
  
"Oh, she's probably just nervous." He said, in between bites of the apple.  
  
"What is there to be nervous about?" Paige asked.  
  
"It has been twelve years since she last saw Pandora. I think it's pretty safe to assume that she's not exactly the same now as she was when she was three months old. And plus, the thought of seeing Prue's daughter probably stirred up a lot of old memories for her." Phoebe spoke up.  
  
"Then why aren't you nervous, Pheebs? I mean, you knew her and all, before she was adopted."  
  
"Yeah, I did, but when she was born I was sixteen, and I had that whole 'rebellious teenager' thing going on. I mostly avoided the house at all costs, especially when Prue was here. We didn't exactly get along back then, and unfortunately that led to my not really spending much time with Pandora. I'm anxious to see if she's anything like Prue was at that age, of course. But Piper.she just knew a whole lot more about the adoption in general, not just the baby. She knows what it's like to have to give up your baby."  
  
Paige nodded, wishing more than ever that she had known Prue.  
  
-x-  
  
Piper sat on her bed, slowly brushing her hair, and thinking. I wonder if Pandora will be anything like Prue was at twelve. God, it's been so long. I can't believe she's twelve already. It seems like just yesterday she was born.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
"Push, Prue! Just a little more, you can do it!" Grams yelled to her oldest granddaughter.  
  
Prue strained and screamed, but soon her daughter was out. She cradled her in her arms, Andy, the father, sitting on the bed next to her. "We've got to stop doing this, Andy. We can't take care of a child, and I can't bear to let go of another daughter."  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
Piper sighed. What if she doesn't like us? How are we going to tell her that her mother and her father are both dead? How are we going to explain that they both were killed, and by demons no less? What if she doesn't accept her magic? How are we even going to tell her that she's a witch? What if-  
  
"Piper, some time this century would be nice!" Her thoughts were cut short as her youngest sister's voice permeated the air.  
  
"I'll be there in a minute!" She yelled down to her sisters and husband. She put down the hairbrush, and quickly tied her hair back into a ponytail, then hurried down the stairs. "Okay. I'm here."  
  
Leo put his arm around Piper. "To Texas?"  
  
"To Texas," Phoebe repeated. Paige placed her arm on Phoebe's shoulder, nodded, and then the four disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.  
  
A/N: I am so sorry that I took so long to get this chapter up, I had so much crap for school that I barely had any time to work on it. I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter up. Hopefully I'll get it up on the weekend, but it might take longer than that. Expect it, at the latest, around Thanksgiving.  
  
Next Chapter: Meeting Pandora!!!! But.. You don't get it if you don't review. SO. you see that little button down there?? Yes, of course you do. Click on it. You know you want to.. REVIEW!!!!  
  
Oh yeah.. I know my chapter titles suck, but please don't poke me with a stick for it, at least I'm trying. 


	9. Chapter 9

The Enchanted Ones  
  
A/N: Guys I am so, so sorry I didn't get this up on Thanksgiving!! On thanksgiving we had to go to my grandmother's house, and then she came to stay the weekend over here which I didn't expect, so I had to spend time with her, and plus my internet has been funky (which actually isn't that great of an excuse b/c I didn't have the chapter written until about 5 minutes ago anyway).  
  
gemstar2: I forget that not everyone on fanfiction is in america..next time I'll use the date.  
  
Kaitie_bee and pippergurl: I'll try to make the chapters longer.I haven't had that much time to write lately.  
  
Charmedchic72: 1st: Yes, since Leo was the son of 2 whitelighters the "whitelighter-witch not dating" thing doesn't apply to him. 2nd: Paetyn is pronounced like Peyton. 3rd: Yup, I love country music. I don't have that many CDs though, I'm cheap and just download music. 4th: Sorry I took so long to update! I feel really bad about taking so much longer than I said I would. 5th: Mmm. bribery! My favorite! Ok I'm gonna post this today (11/30/03) so then it will at least still be Thanksgiving weekend. That's close, right?  
  
Alright enough ranting on my part! You guys can all thank charmedchic72 for her wonderful reviews which convinced me to write/post this chapter now instead of later. And you should all go read and review her story, "Piper Teaches" because it is very good and an original idea. Also thank the WB for playing a rerun of charmed tonight otherwise I would not be writing this right now, I'd be watching charmed. Anyway.. on to the story!  
  
~Pandora's POV~  
  
Today is the day I'm supposed to meet.them. I guess technically they're my family, but how can they be my family when I don't even know them? The only family I've ever known is the Noakes's, they've always been my parents, even though I'm not biologically their daughter. What if the Halliwells want me to move in with them? I can't do that.all my friends are here, and my family. My real family, not just some people who didn't want me.  
  
~Back to 3rd Person~  
  
In a flurry of blue orbs, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, and Leo appeared in a remote corner of a car rental agency. Looking around to make sure no one had seen them, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. In silence, the four walked to the front of the car rental agency. The offices were located in a brick building, which had a large banner in front of it, with the words "Bob's Car Rentals" written with great flourish.  
  
Inside the building, there were quite a few people milling around. "I'm glad we called to reserve a car in advance. I wouldn't like to stand in that line," Piper murmured, motioning to a line towards the back of the room. "There must be sixty or seventy people there."  
  
As the sisters and Leo stood in the entrance, a small balding man in a gray business suit walked up to them. "Hello," he said. "Are you looking to rent?"  
  
Paige nodded. "We actually called a few weeks ago to reserve a car. Who do we speak to, to.you know, get the car?"  
  
The man chuckled. "Follow me, I'll get you the keys and show you the car."  
  
They followed the man to the back of the room and through a door into a small office. "If you'll just give me your last name."  
  
"Halliwell," the four spoke simultaneously, and the man chuckled again. He opened a large notebook and turned a few pages before his eyes rested on the words P. Halliwell-Car #713. He turned around opened a large cabinet labeled #700--#850 and quickly grabbed a set of keys. Handing them to Phoebe, he gave them directions to locate the car. "When you walk out of the building, turn left and continue until the end of the lot. The cars there are #700 through #720. Your car is #713. each car as its number in the windshield. If you can't find it, come back here and I'll show you."  
  
Leo, Paige, Piper, and Phoebe thanked the man and then turned to leave. They quickly and easily found the car right where the man had told them it would be. Leo climbed into the driver's seat and Paige sat beside him, while Piper and Phoebe sat in the back. The car was silent; not even the radio was playing. Finally, Piper spoke up. "What if.she doesn't want to have anything to do with us?"  
  
Phoebe and Paige both turned to look at their sister, and Leo, not wanting to take his eyes off the rode glanced into the rearview mirror. (A/N: I'm not sure if rearview mirror is the right word.it's the mirror inside the car that lets you see behind you) "Sweetie." Phoebe's voice was quiet and gentle. "She agreed to see us, didn't she? It'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah, Piper, Phoebe's right. Don't worry. everything will be fine." Paige tried to comfort her older sister, not quite sure of what to say.  
  
Piper sighed. "I guess you're right. I hope," she mumbled.  
  
Both a bit unsettled by the note of uncertainty in their ever-confident older sister's voice, Paige and Phoebe exchanged glances. Turning to Piper, Phoebe reached over and pulled her sister into a hug, stroking her hair. "Oh, sweetie. it'll be all right. It has to be," she whispered, comforting herself more than her sister.  
  
-x-  
  
About ten minutes later, Leo pulled into a long driveway which led to a small stone house. To the left of the house were a large field and a barn. In the field, six or seven horses grazed, and behind it, a number of ducks splashed in a pond. Near the barn three dogs chased each other, and two cats lazily sat watching.  
  
Watching the whole scene was Pandora, standing in behind one of two large windows overlooking the porch. Upon seeing Paige, Piper, Phoebe, and Leo get out of the car, she immediately drew back and dashed across the room and through a doorway into the kitchen where her parents and social worker sat chatting. "Um.I think they're here. A car just pulled up and three women and a man got out."  
  
The social worker, a short blonde woman, nodded. "That would be the Halliwells."  
  
The doorbell then rang, causing Pandora to jump. "Nervous, Pandy?" Her mother asked.  
  
Pandora shot a mean look at the red haired woman who had just spoken. "Mom, don't call me Pandy! I'm not five! It's Pandora!" Her father, a tall man with graying hair, chuckled, and then got up to answer the door.  
  
Pandora's father walked back into the kitchen, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, and Leo behind him. As he did, the social worker, Brenda, smiled and nodded to the sisters and Leo, then got up and introduced them. "Linda, Frank, Pandora," she said to the Noakes's. "This is Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews, and Leo Wyatt."  
  
They all said hello, and then they all traveled into the living room and sat down on the couches. Pandora sat between her parents on one couch, Piper, Leo, Paige, and Phoebe sat on the couch opposite them, and Brenda took a chair on the side of the room. There was silence in the room for a few moments, obvious tension in the air. Finally, Pandora spoke. "You guys don't want me to.live with you.do you?"  
  
Linda and Frank both looked at her, shocked that she would ask such a thing before even getting to know the Halliwells. There was silence again. Paige, Phoebe, and Leo all could see that Piper thought that her fears were becoming a reality-that Pandora didn't want to know her family. Paige and Phoebe exchanged glances, not sure what to say, but knowing that Piper wasn't going to answer. Paige took a deep breath, then looked her niece straight in the eye. "Pandora.we.we don't want to take you away from your family. We just.we want to get to know you."  
  
Paige, Piper, and Phoebe searched the girl's face for a reaction to Paige's answer. Pandora let out a sigh of relief and grinned. Piper, Paige, Phoebe, and Leo all grinned back, and the tension in the air quickly dissipated.  
  
Pandora spoke up again. "Okay.you're Piper," Piper nodded. "..You're . Phoebe?" Phoebe smiled. "And.you're Paige." Paige waved. "So, um. which one of you is my mother?"  
  
A/N: Alritey then, there's chapter nine! I hope ya liked it, although I just now realized that they never did pay for that rental car.oh well. We can pretend, right? Or else, I'll have them pay for it when they return the car. Next Chapter: How do Piper/Paige/Phoebe/Leo explain to Pandora that both her parents are dead? Also: Leo reveals to his wife and sisters-in-law that Pandora.is his charge! Congrats to the people who guessed as such. And.since its 10:04 PM, there's still 2 hours left of thanksgiving weekend, so . I came close to thanksgiving, right? .Right? Ok, maybe not that close. But the same month. That's something! Right? .Right? Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter muchly.and I would quite like if you would review. Please? That button down there is calling you..just click on it! You know you want to! Go on. it won't bite!  
  
I leave with this insight, made by a friend of mine, that may confuse or disturb you: Trucks look like sperm. 


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Hey guys, I hope some of you are still reading this here story o' mine. I know it's been a while. Anyway, here's another chapter. Please R&R!

Upon hearing the girl's words, the sisters cast their eyes downward. None of them had thought about how to explain to Pandora that her mother was dead.

Pandora noticed the quick change in their demeanors at the mention of her mother, but she wasn't sure what to think of it. _Maybe she just feels guilty for giving me up...she did come all this way just to meet me after eleven years_.

Sensing that the sisters were uncomfortable with the topic, Leo tried to explain. "Um...Pandora, you see, your mom is..." Leo trailed off, at a loss for words, and looked to his charges for help.

Piper slowly looked up, and examined Pandora's features. At first glance she looked more like Andy than Prue...she had Andy's light brown hair and light blue eyes, although her hair was thick like Prue's had been. Her features more closely resembled Prue's, however, and especially her nose.

_I'm the oldest sister now,_ Piper thought. _It's my job to explain this to her_. She took a deep breath and began speaking. "Pandora, your mother was Prudence Halliwell. Prue. Um...unfortunately, she uh...she died. About a year ago. I'm so sorry."

Pandora sat on the couch, wide-eyed, unsure of how to react. "Um...how did...how did she die?" she asked.

"She...she had been trying to protect someone who was...caught in a bad situation. Even now we're not sure what kind of situation. But...she was trying to protect him, and she was...she was killed in the crossfire, essentially," Piper answered slowly, trying to find the right words.

Pandora wasn't sure what to say, so she simply said "...Oh." She looked over at Leo, and after a few minutes said, "I take it you're not my father?"

Leo sadly shook his head, knowing that the topic of her father would only bring more bad news. Piper once again felt obligated as the older sister to explain about the girl's father. "Your father's name was Andy Trudeau. He—"

Pandora interrupted. "Did he...did he know about me?" Her eleven-year-old mind reason that sometimes guys left because their girlfriends were pregnant, and sometimes they left before they could find out. She knew sometimes a couple would stay together, but she didn't think that they'd give up a baby if they were together.

"Yes, he knew about you," she replied. "Prue and Andy knew each other since they were kids...they dated all through high school and college."

"So he...he left because my mom was pregnant and he didn't want to raise a child?"

"Oh, no, Pandora. It wasn't like that. Your father wanted to keep you, and your mom did too. But they were in college, and they didn't have much money. Our father was out of the picture, and our mother died when we were young. Our grandmother raised us, and Prue and Andy didn't think it was fair to ask her to raise another child. They thought you would be better off with a family that could provide for you."

"Then...where is he? My father, I mean," Pandora asked.

"Andy was a cop, one of the best in San Francisco. He was killed by a...suspect...about three years ago," Piper continued answering Pandora's questions while her sisters and husband listened.

Pandora was silent. Her mother reached down and smoothed the girl's hair. "Are you okay, Pandora?" She tried to refrain from using her daughter's childhood nickname.

Pandora nodded and thought, _I never met my real parents, not really, so there's no reason to be upset that they're...dead. Right? _

Paige smiled sadly at the girl, remembering what it was like to find her biological family and hear that her mother was dead and her father was, essentially, dead as well.

Piper spoke up again. She seemed to be doing all the talking, but Paige had never met the girl--or her mother--and Phoebe had been a teenager at the time, so neither felt it was their place to speak. "Um...do you want to see a picture?" When Pandora nodded, Piper smiled and began rifling through her purse. After a minute, she pulled out an old photograph. She looked down at it fondly. It was the only picture they had of Prue, Andy, and the girl, taken a few hours after she had been born. She pulled her eyes off of it and slowly handed it to Pandora.

Pandora gingerly grasped a corner of the picture and examined it. _She's pretty_, she thought_, but I don't look much like her, except my nose. I look more like him...Andy, his name was_. She thought for a few moments, rolling her parents' names over in her mind. _Prudence Halliwell...Andy--Andrew--Trudeau. Hm. Sounds French_. She made a mental note to ask about her nationality later. _Pandora Winifred..._ "Um...was my last name Halliwell or Trudeau? Before Noakes, I mean," she asked, looking up at Piper.

"Halliwell," Piper answered quietly.

Just as quietly, Pandora repeated her. "Halliwell. Pandora Winifred Halliwell. Hm." She slowly, almost reluctantly, handed the photograph back to Piper.

"Would you like a copy of it?" Piper asked gently.

Pandora nodded, smiling. "Yes." Her father prodded her with his elbow, and she added, "If it's not too much trouble?"

Piper smiled back. "It's not. Um...we don't want to overstay our welcome. I think we should be going." Her sisters and husband nodded their agreement.

Everyone stood, and the Noakes family walked the Halliwells to the door. As Piper stepped outside, Pandora said, "If you guys want to come another time and talk some more...I'd like that."

Piper grinned happily. "I'd like that too," she said. She took a sheet of paper and pen from her purse and slowly scrawled their home phone number and address, and handed the paper to Mr. Noakes. "Call us anytime," she said. "It was very nice meeting you, Pandora, Mr. and Mrs. Noakes."

The adults echoed the sentiment, and Pandora said, "I'm glad you came. It was nice to meet you." Piper smiled at the girl, happy that she wanted to see them again. The Halliwells and the Noakeses exchanged goodbyes. The Halliwells walked back to their car and the Noakeses entered their house.

In the far corner of the large field, a few feet from a small pond, a lone duck sat watching the exchange with glowing red eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

The Enchanted Ones  
Chapter Eleven

Hello loves. I do so hope that you enjoy this chapter, sorry it's taken me so long to get it up. I've been on vacation. I'm leaving again tomorrow, so don't expect another one for at least a week. But hopefully I'll get the next one up soon after I get back (8/17). Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

After leaving the Noakes' home in Texas, the Halliwells returned the rental car to the dealership and paid for it, then orbed back to the manor.

When they materialized in the kitchen, they silently looked at one another. Leo scanned the faces of the women in front of him and slowly said, "We have to talk."

Piper met his eyes. "Later," she said quietly. She turned and walked out of the room, continuing up the stairs until she got to her bedroom. Paige and Phoebe exchanged glances, then followed after their older sister.

When they got upstairs, they knocked on Piper's closed bedroom door. They waited a few seconds for an answer, and when there was none they went in anyway.

Piper sat at the head of her bed, staring into space. Her sisters quietly closed the door and walked over to her bed. They sat down next to her and each put an arm around her.

"Piper?" Phoebe asked gently. Piper turned her head to look at Phoebe. "What's wrong?"

Piper shook her head. "Nothing… It's just… nothing."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows, trying to prompt Piper to explain. "No, really. It's nothing. I just didn't expect meeting her to be so overwhelming." Piper stopped and took a breath. "She looks so much like Prue. She seems like such a great kid. ...Do you think, if Prue and Andy had raised her...?" her voice trailed off.

"There's no way to know that now…" Paige spoke up.

"I know," Piper said softly. "I'm glad that she wants to see us again."

"Me too," both her sisters nodded.

"You okay now?" Phoebe asked. Piper nodded, smiling. "Good," Phoebe gently kissed her older sister's forehead, and Paige hugged her. "Are you ready to go hear what Leo has to tell us?" Piper nodded again.

The three sisters stood up and linked arms, then walked off to the kitchen where Leo was waiting.

-x-

The sisters returned to the kitchen, where Leo was making a pot of coffee. When he saw them enter, he looked up and smiled. He placed the coffee mugs on the table and sat down, the sisters following suit.

They sat in silence for a few moments, nursing their coffee. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige looked up at Leo expectantly. He studied their faces briefly, then began speaking. "Remember that charge I told you about? The girl who doesn't know she's a witch, but has powers?"

The three women nodded, and Leo continued. "Well...I saw her again today."

"Was she attacked?" Phoebe asked.

Before her husband answered, Piper interrupted. "Wait, you were with us all day. When did you have time to see a charge?"

Leo raised his eyebrows knowingly, and an expression of understanding suddenly appeared on Piper's face. "Oh...oh my god."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused glances. "What?" they asked.

"Pandora."

The two younger Halliwell sisters stared wide-eyed at Piper. After a few seconds of shocked silence, Paige flatly said, "I'll check the book." Niece or not, Paige had decided, Pandora was an innocent, and she had to be protected. And they had to go about it objectively, because not only did the girl not know she was a witch, but she also didn't know the Halliwells very well, and probably would not appreciate them constantly barging into her life. Even if the barging was for her protection.

Leo nodded. "I'll come with you," he said. The two stood slowly and walked out of the kitchen towards the attic. Phoebe and Piper remained sitting at the kitchen table next to one another. Both stared silently down into their coffee mugs, though the drinks were long forgotten.

Finally, Piper looked up and gazed at her younger sister. "Leo said she vanquished the last demon. But that doesn't mean there won't be more. _Six months_, Phoebe. She's had her powers for six months, and she's probably been being attacked by demons the whole time. And when we finally get to her, it's just because of some dumb prophecy? Because we want to _get to know her_? That's not right, Phoebe, it's just, it's not! We should have realized her powers would be unbound, that she'd be a target when Prue...we should have gotten to her sooner!" Though she had started speaking calmly enough, Piper was now hysterical.

Phoebe bit her lip, fighting back tears, as she pulled her older sister into a hug.

"I know," she said sadly. "I know."

-x-

"He was tall, and he wore this long dark coat. But he could shape shift. He started off...as a duck. It was the weirdest thing, there was a duck pond and he looked just like any of the ducks swimming around. But his eyes would glow red even as a duck."

Paige nodded silently, flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadow, as Leo described the demon to her. "Do you know what powers he had?" she asked.

"Fireballs, as usual. Oh and telekinesis. He threw me into a tree from across the field."

"Hmm," Paige nodded again, chewing on her lip. She continued looking through the book while Leo stood quietly a few feet away.

"Is this him?" She finally asked, hopefully. Leo stepped behind her and examined the page. _Water Fowl Demons_ was written in large lettering across the top of the page. Below that were pictures of various ducks and geese, as well as men matching Leo's description.

"That...looks about right," he said quietly. The two continued reading the page. _Water Fowl Demons typically look like harmless ducks and geese, but shape shift into human form for most of their demonic work. They usually find one water source (e.g., pond, lake, etc) to be their home for most of their lives. They cannot survive out of water for more than twenty-four hours_._ Upper-level demons, they work for the source and tend to target witches_.

Paige groaned.

Leo pointed to the bottom of the page. "Pandora didn't actually vanquish the one that came after her."

Once vanquished, the demon's remains must be buried at least two feet underground and three yards from its home water source, or it will resurrect within seventy-two hours. 

"How long ago did this thing come after her?" Paige asked.

"At least a week."

"Lovely. Just lovely."

A/N: Thanks for reading, y'all! Review, pleasepleaseplease? And always remember: you can run from love. But not in those heels.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hey! Well okay, this chapter took me a tad bit longer than expected, but it's here! I'm starting school in about two weeks and I have a buttload of summer reading left to work on, so in the next two weeks there will probably be a maximum of 1 update. And once school starts, it's probably gonna take me 3-4 weeks to do each new chapter. Sorry that it'll be taking so long, but I figured I should tell yall what to expect. ANYWAY on to happier things... like this chapter, for instance!

The Enchanted Ones  
Chapter Twelve

Once Paige and Leo had finished looking at the book, they returned to the kitchen, where Piper and Phoebe were waiting. As they explained about the Water Fowl Demons, Piper's expression darkened.

"So Pandora didn't actually vanquish him? He's still after her?" she asked flatly, though she already knew the answer. Paige and Leo nodded solemnly.

"What do we do?" asked Phoebe.

"Well, there's not much we _can _do," Leo replied. Especially since she doesn't know she's a witch. I'll... I guess all I can do is to keep a close eye on her. Make sure she's safe. And if the demon comes back...we'll take care of it..." he trailed off, not sure if he was making sense.

The girls nodded their agreement. After a few moments, Paige broke the silence. "Um, guys?" Her sisters looked up at her. "What about Paris? And Peyton? Would their powers be unbound now too?"

"I guess...Paris's...they were probably ubound when Prue died, same as Pand—" Phoebe started, but Piper broke in.

"No," she interrupted. "No...when Peyton and Paris were born, I bound both their powers. Prue only bound Pandora's. Only Pandora has her powers now."

Though she was still, of course, worried about her younger niece, Piper was relieved to realize that Prue's daughters wouldn't _both _have demons chasing them. They all were.

They sat silently for a bit longer, then Phoebe spoke. "Um...it's been a long day. Maybe we should get some rest?"

"Yeah," Piper murmured softly, as Paige nodded. The four rose from the table and looked at each other. "Goodnight girls," Leo said.

"Goodnight," they echoed him.

Phoebe and Paige turned and slowly headed towards the stairs. Still in the kitchen, Leo's arms circled Piper's waist and he pulled her close. She leaned in and embraced him. They held each other for a few minutes, then Piper pulled away.

"Leo...those little girls..." Her voice cracked.

"I know, I know," he whispered. Piper looked down, clearly still worried about the three children. Leo lifted his wife's chin and they silently looked at each other. Then, leaning down, Leo kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Leo," Piper said.

Leo cupped his wife's face in his hands, then gently kissed her. "I love you, too."

They lingered a few moments, until Piper broke the silence. "Goodnight," she said softly. Leo echoed her, and then she turned and followed after her sisters towards their bedrooms.

-x-

The next few days were mercifully normal. The Charmed Ones went about their regular routines while Leo kept watch over his charges. To the girls' relief, their lives-—and their niece's—-were free of demonic attacks.

The Halliwells had decided that rather than spend time and money getting a rental car, they would drive to Seattle. When February 25th arrived, they piled into Piper's jeep and drove off. After a long drive, they finally arrived in Seattle, grabbed a quick dinner and began driving to Paris's apartment building.

They pulled up in front of a large brick building. It had a porch and a small yard, and was surrounded by bushes and scattered trees. A gray stone walkway stretched from the street to the front door. Leo parked the car and they slowly got out. They reached the porch, which had two rusted metal chairs and a few children's toys strewn across it. Scanning the column of doorbells, they found the one marked "Hartley." Slowly, Piper extended her finger and rang the bell.

-x-

Inside the apartment, Paris sat on the living room couch playing video games with her older brother Steven. "So, you nervous, P.?" Steven asked.

"'Bout what?" Paris said.

Steven rolled his eyes. "Come on, Paris, you know. About meeting your family. Your _real_ family."

"You guys are my real family. I've always been a Hartley."

"Okay. But are you nervous?"

Paris paused briefly, and in the silence, the doorbell rang.

"Yes."

-x-

Out on the porch, the Halliwells waited nervously. After a minute, the door swung open, revealing a smiling blonde woman holding a wriggling toddler. "You must be the Halliwells. I'm Sarah Hartley. Sorry to keep you waiting. Please, come in."

They stepped through the door into the small lobby of the apartment building, and followed the woman through another door into the apartment. They entered the apartment and gazed around the living room.

Even from the doorway, they could see that it was a large apartment. It had two stories, and the rooms were large. The living room had one wall with large windows overlooking the building's larger backyard, filled with more trees and pots of flowers.

The room itself, though large, was cozy. On the wall opposite the windows was a fireplace, and above it hung a large portrait of the Hartley family-—Mr. and Mrs. Hartley, two boys, the toddler, and a young girl, whom the Halliwells took to be Paris. The entire room was filled with pictures of the family—-school pictures, pictures of the kids with friends, and pictures that seemed to be from vacations.

The carpeted floor was littered with stuffed animals, baby toys, and a few books. The room had a large television sitting inside a cabinet, and in front of it was a large couch. On the couch sat Paris and Steven, who both looked up shyly at the crowd of people entering their apartment.

"Guys, put away the video games, then Steven go see if Joseph needs any help with his homework, okay?" Mrs. Hartley said.

The two children nodded, and put the video games into a drawer in the cabinet. When they were done, Steven whispered, "See ya later, P.," and left the room. Paris slowly turned around to face the collection of people still standing by the door.

Mrs. Hartley placed the toddler on the floor and raised her eyes at Paris. The girl took a few steps forward, extended her hand towards Piper, and said, "Hi...I'm Paris. ...You must be one of my aunts."

Surprised that Paris had figured at that she was her aunt, Piper slowly shook the girl's hand. Paris shook hands with the rest of the group, and then took a step back, smiling shyly.

"Please sit down," Mrs. Hartley said.

The Halliwells sat on one end of the couch, and Paris and Mrs. Hartley sat opposite them. "Paris," Mrs. Hartley said, motioning towards Piper. "This is your aunt..." she paused, waiting for Piper to supply the name.

"Piper," she said. "And this is my husband, Leo. Your uncle, I guess. Um...these are my sisters. Phoebe and Paige." She pointed them out.

"It's nice to meet you," Paris said. "Um..." she paused. "That's my sister Cindy." She pointed to the toddler, who was sitting on the floor, quietly playing with blocks. "And that was Steven who was just here, he's fifteen. My other brother Joseph is upstairs. He's a year younger than me."

When she finished talking, they sat in awkward silence for a minute. Finally, Piper spoke up. "Paris...I know we just met you. But there's something we need to tell you. About your parents...your biological parents."

Paris looked at Piper, confused.

Taking a deep breath, Piper said, "They're dead."

"Oh. But... I already knew that."


End file.
